Technical Manual: Overtopping Protection for Dams (FEMA P-1015)
Published by Federal Emergency Management Agency
Inadequate spillway capacity is a common problem with many dams. Thousands of dams throughout North America have been determined to have inadequate spillway capacity and would be overtopped during the inflow design flood (IDF), which is often equated to the probable maximum flood (PMF) or to some frequency flood associated with a particular return period. The PMF is defined as the flood that may be expected from the most severe combination of critical meteorologic and hydrologic conditions that are reasonably possible in the drainage basin under study (Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA], 2004). Reservoir inflow from storm events which exceeds the available storage and/or spillway discharge capacity can result in the dam being overtopped. Dam failure from overtopping can lead to a potential for loss of life and significant downstream damages.
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Revision ID: 542
Revision Date: 05/31/2022